


Vanilla Twilight

by thedemonkingawakes



Series: A Thousand Worlds [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, F/M, First Kiss, Song fic, angel!Natasha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-08 12:30:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1941165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedemonkingawakes/pseuds/thedemonkingawakes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of an angel who fell in love with a human and a human who fell in love with an angel. Against all odds they found each other, and they never regretted it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vanilla Twilight

**Author's Note:**

> I highly recommend listening to Vanilla Twilight while you read this fic.  
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIz2K3ArrWk&feature=kp

_The stars lean down to kiss you_

_And I lie awake and miss you_

Natasha lay in her starry bed, watching from the heavens as night descended on Earth. If she concentrated, she could just see the spark of light that was Clint Barton. He was in the mountains again, she guessed. A part of her, a large part if she was being honest with herself, hoped he was looking for her. He deserved to be happy, but Natasha couldn’t help but selfishly want him to be happy with her.

She still remembered when they met. She had been on Earth, wandering, perhaps foolishly, around the mountains, drinking in the freeness of it all. Clint had been camping out on the mountain at the time. Natasha had tripped, still unused to her human form, and fallen over the edge of the cliff, hanging on by just her fingertips. How he knew she was there he never said, but Clint had come running up to the edge. He’d grabbed her wrists in his strong hands and pulled her back up onto the ledge.

_Pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere_

Natasha briefly lost her train of thought as a long, mournful note from a horn spread throughout the heavens. The warm golden glow that bathed the heavens during the day faded into dusky purple, washing everything in Natasha’s room with a royal purple tinge. She sighed and rolled over onto her side.

_'Cause I'll doze off safe and soundly_

_But I'll miss your arms around me_

As she began to doze off, she let the rest of the memory of her and Clint’s first meeting play out. He had pulled her back up onto the ledge and scooped her up in his wiry arms, carrying her surefootedly to his campsite. He’d set her down gently next to the fire pit, and lit a fire in it. She had watched as he walked over to a small plant at the edge of his campsite and plucked a few leaves from it. Grabbing a tin kettle out of his pack, he had filled it with water from the stream and hung it over the fire to boil. That done, he had sat down next to her, absently chewing on one of the mint leaves he had picked.

“Are you alright? That must have been quite a scare for you.”

Natasha couldn’t answer. She hadn’t been hurt; she had just realized how brief mortal lives were, mere flickers of light in the winds of time. The idea of falling had terrified her, and yet, for a brief moment, as Clint’s hands had closed around her wrists and adrenaline had pumped through her veins, it was exhilarating. The sheer freedom of it had made her want to laugh into the winds.

Natasha had been shaking slightly without her knowledge, and Clint had wrapped his arms around her. As a feeling as security had washed over her, Natasha had been struck by how human the whole moment was. Clint had held her in his arms long after she stopped shaking. Eventually, he had to get up and take the kettle off the fire. Throwing a handful of mint leaves in, he had poured the tea into a pair of collapsible mugs and had handed one to Natasha.  

They had talked until the sun began to peak its head over the horizon. Then, Natasha had stood up and left. Just before she was out of sight, she had heard Clint shout, “You never told me your name!”

“It’s Natasha!” She had called back, stopping and turning to face him.

“I’m Clint! When can I see you again?”

“I don’t know.” She had left, hurrying out of sight before Clint could reply, knowing if she didn’t, she would never leave.

_I'd send a postcard to you, dear_

_'Cause I wish you were here_

Laying in her bed, staring down at the light that was Clint, Natasha was struck again by how utterly human the whole thing was. Angels weren’t supposed to fall in love, least of all with humans, and yet Natasha had fallen hard for Clint, and for humanity. It seemed to her that love was the most human emotion; something that immortal beings could never understand. How could they? Love was a shout into the vastness of time, tiny mortals with their fleeting lives deciding to intertwine their fates, all because when they are near each other, they might as well be frozen in time, just the two of them.

Natasha wanted Clint to be here, with her. She wanted him to see her home, she wanted for the two of them to wander the heavens together forever, laughing and kissing, wrapped up in their blissful world. But the only way humans could enter the heavens were if they were dead, and she didn’t want that. She just wanted to be by his side, wherever he was, whatever he was doing, for her entire life.

~*~*~

_I'll watch the night turn light blue_

_But it's not the same without you_

Clint watched the sky as pink and purple faded gradually into a soft dusky blue.  His pack was a comfortable weight on his back, nestled between his shoulders. Pulling a flashlight from his pack, he hurried towards a nearby clearing. He knew the mountains by heart; they were his home more than any building ever could be. His stride was sure as he hiked up the steep trail that lead toward the clearing. The trails could be treacherous to anyone who didn’t know the mountains, but to Clint it held no danger.

As it often did when he was alone, Clint’s thoughts turned towards the girl he had met a year ago in these same mountains, Natasha. The sky had been looked almost exactly like this when he’d met her for the first time. He’d pulled her back onto one of the ledges near his campsite, and taken her back to his camp for some tea. She left in the morning before the sun was even up. His last memory of her was seeing her standing silhouetted against the sunrise, her hair glowing like coals. Then she was gone. He hadn’t seen her since, although he looked for her every time he was in the mountains.

It was funny, Clint thought, how love could change your perspective on things. Sunset used to be one of his favorite times of day, but since he’d fallen in love with Natasha, they weren’t nearly as beautiful without her.

_Because it takes two to whisper quietly_

_The silence isn't so bad_

Even though she told herself that it was a bad idea, Natasha couldn’t help but send out whispered messages on a unique telepathic frequency. She knew if any of the other angels heard the messages, she would be in big trouble, but she didn’t care. It would be worth it to try to send Clint a message.

It wasn’t that the silence was horrible; she often enjoyed the silence. It was the lack of Clint’s presence that was bothering her. With each passing day, she wanted to be with him more. She couldn’t help it, she was in love with Clint.

_'Till I look at my hands and feel sad_

_'Cause the spaces between my fingers_

_Are right where yours fit perfectly_

Clint crawled into his tent, not bothering to light a fire. The night was warm enough that he didn’t need it. Glancing down at his hands, scarred and callused from years of hard work, Clint recalled the feeling of Natasha’s small, slender hands as their fingers interlocked. Her hands had been soft and delicate, like the rest of her.

He had tried to forget about her, once, after he’d been searching fruitlessly for months; tried to move on, find some other girl he could be happy with. It hadn’t worked. He’d dated another girl for a few weeks, but it had felt pale and shallow compared to the night he had spent with Natasha.

~*~*~

_I'll find repose in new ways_

_Though I haven't slept in two days_

As Clint lie on his back, staring up at the canvas ceiling above his head, he found he couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t a surprise. He hadn’t slept much for the past few days, catching a nap here and there to keep him rested. Clint let his mind drift, falling into a trancelike state. He could almost imagine that Natasha was there with him, lying asleep by his side. A feeling of peace washed over him, calming his roiling mind.

The sudden, harsh call of a mockingbird shattered the illusion. Sighing, Clint crawled out of his tent. He grabbed a spare blanket from his pack, picked up his bow and quiver, and walked through the short barrier of trees onto the ledge. He set the bow and quiver down at the tree line. Rolling up the blanket, he lay down on the hard, rocky ledge. Clint shoved the blanket under his head as a pillow and dangled his feet over the edge of the ledge. It was reckless, but it made him feel free. With his feet dangling over the edge, free of any ties to the Earth, he could almost believe that if he tried hard enough, he could simply float away and leave the Earth and all its troubles behind.

_'Cause cold nostalgia chills me to the bone_

_But drenched in vanilla twilight_

The wind bit into Clint’s skin, chilling him to the bone, waking him up. The stars looked like chips of ice scattered across the sky; cold, hard, unforgiving. Clint gazed up at them for a long time, wondering if somewhere, Natasha was looking up at the same stars and thinking of him. He pulled a mint leaf out of his pocket and chewed on it absently. A wave of nostalgia washed over him as he remembered sitting by the fire, drinking mint tea with Natasha. He had wanted to put his arms back around her and hold her after they had finished drinking their tea, but it didn’t seem appropriate once she had gotten over her fright. He had sat next to her, talking and laughing all night, wishing all the while that he could kiss her and hold her.

_I'll sit on the front porch all night_

_Waist deep in thought because when_

He had thought he’d been in love before, but sitting there with Natasha, he realized it was just a pale shadow compared to what he felt for Natasha. Maybe it was stupid, to be so in love with someone he had only spent a day with, but he had felt…complete somehow when Natasha was sitting next to him.

Looking up at the sky, laying on the ledge, he could imagine a life with Natasha. The mountains were wild and rugged, but beautiful and free. Clint had seen in Natasha’s eyes that she was already in love with the mountains, the freeness of it all. If...no when he saw Natasha again, he’d tell her how he felt.

_I think of you I don't feel so alone_

Before he’d met Natasha, Clint had never felt lonely; he’d thought it was impossible. And yet, now, he  
felt alone in a way he never had before. It was like a piece of him was missing, a piece he hadn’t known existed until he met Natasha. Thinking of her made her absence hurt less, but it was still there, ever present. Clint looked back up at the sky, tracing Orion’s belt with his finger. His finger moved slowly from Orion’s belt to the tip of his arrow. Following the arrow’s path, he saw a shooting star fly across the sky. If he believed in wishing on stars, he would have wished to find Natasha again, but he didn’t. Instead, he just gazed up at the sky, remembering the night he had spent with her.

~*~*~

_When violet eyes get brighter_

_And heavy wings grow lighter_

_I'll taste the sky and feel alive again_

Natasha clambered out of bed and grabbed a jeweled white dress that hung to her knees out of her closet. She cinched a white belt around her waist and slipped her feet into a pair of soft leather boots. Grabbing a vial from her dresser and tucking it into her pocket, Natasha cracked open the door. Not seeing anyone, she padded from the room, easing the door shut behind her. With quiet footsteps, Natasha walked into the garden. There was a secret path at the back of the garden, one that no one but Natasha knew about. She crept towards it, careful to avoid the spotlights that swept across garden in a grid pattern. Pulling aside the vines that covered the path, Natasha took one last look at the place that had been her home for over a millennium before she stepped through the vines towards her new life.  

_And I'll forget the world that I knew_

_But I swear I won't forget you_

Her feet hit the rocky mountainside hard. Natasha stumbled a few steps before she regained her balance. Pulling the vial out of her pocket, Natasha picked a sharp stone up off the ground. She dragged the tip of the stone across her palm, wincing. Instead of bleeding, a soft golden light seeped out the cut and into the small vial in her hand. She pushed a cork into the bottle and dropped it back into her pocket.

Glancing around, Natasha thought she recognized the place she had met Clint. She picked her way through the trees, looking for any sign of Clint. After a few minutes, she found a camp in the middle of a clearing. Walking through the barrier of trees, Natasha stepped out onto a rocky ledge. She could see Clint lying on the edge, staring up at the sky. Some noise must have alerted him to the presence of another person, because he sprang to his feet, scooping up his bow and nocking an arrow in seconds. He twisted lithely, his back knee on the ground, and aimed the arrow at her heart.

“Natasha?” Clint’s voice was incredulous.

“Hey.” Natasha said sheepishly.

Clint unstrung the arrow and stuck it back into the quiver. Setting down the bow, he stepped forward just in time to catch Natasha as she launched herself into Clint’s arms. He spun her around, laughing.

Clint set her down and stepped back, not letting go of Natasha’s hand.  

“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you since you left.”

“It’s a long story and I’ll tell you the whole thing tomo-” Clint cut her off with a kiss. She kissed him back passionately.

When they broke apart, they were both smiling.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I met you.” Clint said, scooping up his quiver and bow. He grabbed Natasha’s hand with his free one and led her back to his camp.  

_Oh if my voice could reach back through the past_

_I'd whisper in your ear:_

A few days later, Natasha was sitting on the ledge. Clint stepped through the tree barrier and sat down next to her as the sun began to set. He draped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

“The sunset’s gorgeous tonight.” Natasha said, gazing out in the distance.

“Not as gorgeous as you.” Clint said cheekily.  

The sun had just dipped below the horizon when Natasha spoke. “Clint, I wanted to ask you something.”

Clint turned to look at Natasha. “I actually wanted to ask you something too.”

“You first.”

Clint slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a little box. Rising up onto one knee, Clint opened the box. Inside was a beautiful ring with a woven gold band. Set in the center of the band was a dragon’s breath opal. “Natasha Alianovna Romanoff, will you marry me?”

Natasha smiled. “Yes. Of course, you idiot.”

“I mean, I know we haven’t actually spent much time together, and we don’t have to get married right away. Just, I spent a year looking for you and I’ve been in love with you since I met you and…”

“Clint.”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

Clint grinned and kissed Natasha deeply. Gently, he slid the ring onto her finger. “What was it you wanted to ask me?”

“I suppose it’s kinda unnecessary now but...Clinton Francis Barton, would you do me the honor of marrying me?” She pulled a simple silver band out of her pocket. Engraved on the inside of the ring were the words: To Clint, who I fell for in every way possible.

Clint smiled and kissed her again. Natasha slipped the ring onto Clint’s finger and snuggled into his side. The full moon was high in the sky; the stars flecking the sky like little diamonds as Clint and Natasha lay on the cliff making out. Sitting up in his elbow, Clint looked Natasha in the eyes.

“I love you Tasha. I know they’re just words and they don’t mean anything without actions to back them up, but I love you.”

“I love you too Clint.”

_"Oh darling, I wish you were here"_

Years and years later, when they were both old and grey, Clint went to sleep one night and didn’t wake up again. After the funeral, Natasha slipped away back to the ledge where she first met Clint. Uncorking the vial that had hung around her neck on a leather strap since Clint had proposed to her, she let the soft golden light flow into her mouth.  Her feathery wings spread out behind her, the setting sun turning them to coppery fire. She jumped off the ledge, her wings lifting her high above the mountains within seconds. Soaring lower, Natasha took one last look at Clint’s grave before flying up into the clouds. As she passed through the clouds into the heavens, she smiled sadly. Catching sight of the gilded, golden gates that marked the front entrance, she landed lightly and moved quietly closer. Near the middle of the line of spirits, Natasha caught sight of Clint; looking the same as he had when he saved her from falling all those years ago. She crept forward, furling her wings close to her back.

“Clint.” Natasha hissed.

Clint looked around and spotted Natasha in the bushes.  
“What are you doing here Tasha?”

“Do you remember when I told you why I had disappeared for a year after you met me?  Well, I never got rid of my angel powers. I kept them in a little vial that I hung around my neck. Once you were…gone, I made myself an angel again. Now, come on.”

She reached out and grabbed Clint’s hand, pulling him into the bushes with her. “There are better ways to spend your life - afterlife - than in some boring ‘paradise’. I’m an angel; I can show you the world. Just, uh, follow me. The guardian people around here don’t take too kindly to people who leave ‘paradise’.”

Natasha grabbed Clint’s hands and leapt into the air, her wings straining to lift them into air for a moment before they caught an updraft and carried them high into the air. Angling south-west, Natasha carried them into one of the magnificent gardens. She set them down gently near the center of the garden next to the fountain. Clint leaned in and kissed Natasha sweetly.

“So, all of eternity huh.”

Natasha quirked an eyebrow. “Where do you want to start?”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, dragon's breath opals are gorgeous. I came across some pictures of them on accident while I was on tumblr. Seriously, if you haven't seen them you should go google them.  
> Anyway, now that my mini gemstone rant is over, I want to thank my friend paintingtrashgold, who kind of inspired this fic. We were listening to Owl City, and this song came on, and we were discussing what it meant, and I decided to write a Clintasha songfic based on Vanilla Twilight. It ended up kinda melancholy, probably because I wrote like half of it in the middle of the night.  
> I hope you enjoyed my fic and please leave a review and let me know what you think. 
> 
> In case any of you wanted to see it, Natasha's dress: http://thedemonkingawakes.tumblr.com/post/88203806478


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